Billy Hallowell reports at the Blaze:

Property battles that result from churches and dioceses splitting with denominations can become contentious, especially when there are millions of dollars on the line -- and as the battle over homosexuality continues to cause theological rifts, additional separations are likely.

In the latest property war, a court ruled Tuesday that the Episcopal Church no longer has rights to the breakaway Diocese of South Carolina’s property, nor can the Episcopal Church use or control the diocese’s associated names or symbols.

"We are grateful that Judge Goodstein’s decision protects South Carolina churches from being added to the long list of properties that [the Episcopal Church] seized then either abandoned or sold-off," Jim Lewis, Canon to the Ordinary, is quoted as saying. 

"The decision protects our freedom to embrace the faith Anglicans have practiced for hundreds of years -- and not the new theology being imposed on [the Episcopal Church's] dwindling membership," Lewis is also quoted as saying.

"According to Charisma News, theological differences were cited as the reason for the split, including disagreement over the traditional definition of marriage, as the Episcopal Church now supports same-sex relationships," Blaze reports.

"Diocese of South Carolina Bishop Mark Lawrence said that the split was a long time coming," according to the Blaze.

"We’ve been on a collision course with the Episcopal Church for 20 years for issues such as trustworthiness of the holy Scriptures, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, issues of anthropology -- including what is a human being -- questions of marriage and who receives the sacraments. All of those things are of theological concern to us," the Blaze quotes Bishop Lawrence as saying.

"This in mind, the Diocese of South Carolina sued the Episcopal Church in January 2013 to obtain the rights to its property. And with the conclusion of the court battle this week, 36 churches that are a part of the Diocese of South Carolina were officially granted an exit from the church, granting the diocese the rights to $500 million in property," the Blaze reports.